PWG, Maoists merger a security concern, says IB

TNNNov 4, 2004, 02.50AM IST

NEW DELHI: The central intelligence agencies aired their concern over the recent merger of People's War Group with Maoist Communist Centre stating that it only compounded the grave situation prevailing in states affected by Left-wing extremism and held serious security implications.

The admission, made by Intelligence Bureau director A K Doval, in his address to the annual conference of DGP/IGs here, comes even as Union home minister Shivraj Patil had initially tried to play down the merger saying that though its implications needed to be watched, the outcome could always be positive in that the government would henceforth need to talk to a singular entity to resolve the Naxalite problem.

Mr Patil acknowledged that the Left-wing extremism continued to remain a serious threat to internal security and that it had been spreading at a "disconcerting" pace, with the result that around 125 districts in 12 states were affected and another 24 districts were being targeted by Naxalites.

Reeling out statistics in his inaugural address to the conference, Mr Patil said incidents of Naxalite violence had increased by 8.5% in 2003 and resultant fatalities by 6.4%.

"Naxalism needs to be tackled simultaneously on the political, economic and security fronts," he said, but added that the security agencies needed to be careful so that "the Left-wing extremists do not use the ceasefire as an opportunity to consolidate."